When There Was Me and You
by loritrus
Summary: A long painful year has been tormenting Alex and Nate - they've lost a beautiful friendship, and all of the memories of them together come flooding back. Love and life becomes a question when they realize that they'd rather have no one but each other.


**LORI'S NOTE: **hey guys! loritrus here! :)

so to start things off, i just want to say that my first fanfic was DELETED - bcuz i thought it was crappy.

I apologize to all of you beautiful faces who loved my story. really :(

**BUT**.

this is my one-shot! :) and im really proud of this :)

i also have a **TRAILER**! :)

it's on youtube, but for some damn reason it dusnt let me write the link...

SO. go to my profile and the link will be there :) watch it please! ive worked on it for 2 months :)

aanndd ENJOY! :)

* * *

**WHEN THERE WAS ME AND YOU** by loritrus

_"Alex! Alex!"_

_13 year old Alex Russo turned around to see a curly head boy running after her, holding something that glistened in the sunlight._

_"Nate?" Alex said. And when she confirmed that it was Nate, she angrily stomped her foot, "NATE GREY! I WAITED IN FRONT OF THIS COFFEE SHOP FOR TWO HOURS! WHERE WERE YOU?"_

_Nate just laughed and smiled, "Ooh, feisty much?"_

_But Alex crossed her arms and impatiently waited for an answer, "No funny talk, mister. Two hours?"_

_His smile was replaced by a tired look, "I'm SO sorry... I had to run over to the jeweler's and get this customized..."_

_"Jewelers? What?"_

_"You're ring." Nate said simply._

_Alex gaped at him._

_"What do you mean... My ring?" She asked quietly._

_Nate held his fist in front of her, and he slowly opened his palm._

_There lay a golden ring, sparkling, with the words _Forever & Always_ inscribed on it. _

_"Forever and always..." Alex murmured._

_"Yeah." Nate smiled._

_"You went through all of this, just to get me a ring? A 14 karat gold ring?" Alex asked him._

_"My life's savings." Nate told her._

_"Nate... I... I... I don't know what to say."_

_"You don't have to." Nate smiled._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Because I'll say it for you: Forever and always Alex Russo. No matter what happens, we'll stay friends till the very end. It's me and you. Forever and always." Nate told her, as he slowly slipped the ring on her fourth finger._

_Alex smiled softly, "Forever and always Nate Grey. Whether it's us against the world, or the world against us. I'll stand by your side. Whether the glass is half empty or the glass is half full. I'll see it your point of view. Whether it's today or tomorrow. I'll stay with you forever. It's me and you. Forever and always."_

_Then Alex pulled Nate into a tight hug._

_Forever and always._

That was such a long time ago.

Alex Russo was now sixteen, lying on her bed, twirling her ring between her fingers. She wasn't listening to Mitchie, who was sitting next to her bed, talking about boys.

Nate and her didn't talk much anymore.

They just grew apart.

At least, that's how Alex liked to see it.

"Grew apart" was too soft for the ending of their friendship.

"Torn apart" was more like it. Their friendship was ended so quickly and promptly, that it went by too fast for Alex to realize what she was doing.

And the next thing she knew, Nate was already out of her life.

It was all her fault.

_Whether the glass is half empty or the glass is half full. I'll see it your point of view._

Such lies. Lies. Lies!

Alex thought it was all her fault.

But Nate thought opposite.

What happened to seeing it the same point of view?

To Nate, the ending of their friendship was slow and painful. It stung him so much.

But if Alex meant what she said...

_Alex sat on an armchair next to Nate's._

_"Don't go out with Gerald, Ally. He's a liar. A cheater... A... A... Chliar!" Nate said stubbornly._

_"Well," Alex said calmly. "We'll never know until we-"_

_"Whoa, whoa, whoa. We? No, no. Not we. I'm not going to become a part of this." He told her._

_"What do you mean? You're the one telling me who to date and who not to date! You're not my dad!"_

_"Well if you're dad knew Gerald, he'd probably say the same thing!"_

_"Well if my dad knew how much of a selfish jerk you could be, he'd probably say the opposite!"_

_"Russo, you don't know Gerald! How could you be so blind?"_

_"Oh, calling me Russo now, are you?" Alex leaned over the arm of her chair, Nate doing the same, until their faces were inches from each other._

_"I was just trying to help!"_

_"Help who? Yourself?"_

_"How does this benefit me?"_

_"Then why are you butting in?"_

_"Because I don't want to see you hurt! Because I thought that you felt the same way!"_

_"Same way about what?"_

_Nate stopped._

_His heart sank._

_Then his feelings were instantly replaced by anger, "Well, if you don't know how I feel, then you probably don't know what I'm about to do."_

_But Alex knew very well what he was thinking._

_But she was so hurt and angry. What made him think that all because she didn't know how he "felt", it suddenly gave him the right to end their friendship?_

_It was unfair!_

_"Nate," Alex was still sitting on her chair, looking down at the ring he gave her. "It's not Gerald who's the liar. It's you."_

_"What?"_

_"Forever and always. You end it now? What are you trying to prove?"_

_"Nothing," Nate lied. "Absolutely nothing."_

_"What ever happened to me and you? What ever happend to us against the world?"_

_"More like the world against us, Ally." Nate said quietly._

_He couldn't keep this friendship going with his feelings in the way. He was desperately in love with Alex Russo._

_He hated to end it, but he hated to keep it too._

_"I remember saying that too." Alex told him. The world against us. She definitely said that. And Nate knew it._

_"And what did you say after that?" Nate said softly. He knew very well what she said, but he needed to her to say it one last time. Before he left._

_"I'll stand by your side." Alex felt tears roll down her cheeks._

_Nate opened the front door, "I am so sorry..." And he left._

Just like that.

How could one be so stupid?

Nate regretted everything. He wanted to go back in time. He regretted making a huge fuss over Gerald.

He wanted to go back to the days when he was blind and thought that he still had a chance.

But who was he kidding?

He was a liar. No better than Gerald Wilmouth: Alex's ex, whom she dumped not too long ago.

_"We're over. Done." Alex cried. She and Gerald were standing outside of Gerald's house. Outside the screaming pink lights of his party. Alex caught Gerald kissing another girl. It was heartbreaking to watch._

_"What? Ally..."_

_"DON'T EVER CALL ME THAT! EVER!" Alex screamed. "I TRUSTED YOU. I BELIEVED IN YOU. CHEATING WASN'T PART OF THE PROGRAM, GERALD. YOU MAKING OUT WITH GINA WAS NEVER PART OF IT. DO YOU KNOW HOW HURT I FEEL?"_

_"Ally... I mean... Alex..." Gerald said._

_"You're not worth my time. You might have said that you loved me, but I never thought so myself. That's why I never returned the feelings. And you know what? I was smart about that. So goodbye, Wilmouth. And don't ever knock on my door again!"_

_Alex ran. Faraway._

_So faraway._

_But through all the pain and trouble... All she could think about was - Nate. He was right. She was wrong. He told her. She didn't listen. Their friendship was ruined because of her STUPIDITY. Alex felt tears run down her cheeks. She never felt so betrayed, hurt, and lost in her whole life. She never felt so stupid. So sad. So regretful. All these feelings were too much for her to handle._

_As she ran, she saw the ground below her turn into grass. She looked up. A park. She was in a park. Her vision was slightly blurred due to the tears in her eyes. She didn't bother wiping them. So this is what it was like to really cry. To have your heart broken._

_Alex found a tree and sat under it. She used the end of her dress to wipe her tears. She saw clearly now. It was dark out. She felt scared and alone. It wasn't safe for her to be there... All alone and afraid. She looked intimidating too... With her long silver dress and curly hair. Alex sighed. She took off her shoes and left them under the tree. Then she slowly stood up and walked towards the swings. She sat in them and swung back and forth. She tried to make it seem like Nate was there. Like old times - when he pushed her on the swings. When she kept yelling, "HIGHER! HIGHER!" It all seemed so long ago. And yet it seemed just like yesterday. Suddenly, she heard an, "Alex?" Alex instantly jumped off the swing and turned around._

_"Nate?"_

_"Um... What are you doing here... It's eight in the evening... You're in a dress..." He scrambled to find words._

_Alex folded her arms, and sadly looked at him, "I could ask you the same thing." Funny, he came in the most awkward moment possible - when she was thinking about him, at night, in the park of all places!_

_"Well... I don't have a dress..." Nate joked lightly, then said, "I just had a sudden urge to come here."_

_"I-I... Um..." Alex couldn't find the words. The one thing that broke them apart. If she told him now... It would break both of them to know that their friendship ended for nothing. Absolutely nothing._

_"You were right." She finally said._

_"Right?"_

_Alex looked at him softly, "Gerald... He..."_

_"Broke up with you." She could see the hurt in his eyes._

_"Worse..."_

_"He cheated on you. You were at his party, huh? Why didn't I guess it before. The dress. Well that's just too bad for me... I was one of the 'losers' not invited." Nate looked away._

_They were both silent for the longest time. Just standing there. Looking away._

_"I've missed you." Nate said, still not looking at her._

_Alex turned to look at him. He was still looking away._

_"Isn't it funny, how our friendship ended because of this jerk?"_

_Alex shook her head, "No. It's not funny."_

_Nate looked back at her, "How so?"_

_"You were so right. He's a jerk. It's a fact."_

_"That's just too bad you haven't listened to me before."_

_"So you're saying that our friendship can't be fixed."_

_Nate was hesitant._

_"No." He responded, stiffly yet sadly. "No it can't."_

_Alex looked down at her feet. And slowly walked up to the tree where she left her shoes, picked them up, and walked towards the gates of the park. She stopped right at the gate, and turned around to look at Nate, who was staring after her. They both stood there. Nate was still standing in his original position._

_"I love you." Alex whispered. Then walked out._

_At the same time, Nate whispered the exact same words. And watched her leave._

"Nate? NAATTEE! YO NATE! NATEEEEEEE! NATE NATE NATE!"

Nate stopped zoning out. He had a flashback on about a month ago... When he and Alex were at the park...

She looked so beautiful that day. Even through the dark she looked like a shining light.

"Um yeah?" He turned to look at his brother, Shane.

"Waddya mean 'Um yeah?'?" Shane said. "Oh god... WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO STOP YOU FROM DAYDREAMING?"

Nate winced, "Sorry... I'm just... Out of it..."

"I could tell." Shane sighed.

"ALEX? YO ALEXXXX YOU LISTENING?"

Alex snapped back into reality.

"Were you listening or daydreaming?"

"Umm... Half half?" Alex shrugged.

Mitchie rolled her eyes, "Sometimes being your BFF is SO HARD."

"But you LOOVEEE me!" Alex laughed.

"Yeah, yeah whatever!" Mitchie laughed too.

Alex smiled. Then remembered her flashback.

She instantly dropped her smile.

"Uhh Ally? You okay?"

"Huh? Oh yeah! I'm cool."

"You might SOUND like it... But you don't SEEM like it."

Alex's smile was devastatingly fake.

Alex sighed and closed her eyes, "I..."

"Nate." Mitchie read instantly.

Alex looked up at Mitchie, surprised.

"It's been a month since your little 'meeting'. And it's been a year since you guys screwed your friendship! And I had to be there to take care of BOTH of you. Before Nate dropped me too..."

"Nate only dropped you because you reminded him of me."

"Yeah? Well, still. It wasn't cool."

Alex sighed, "I hate myself. So much."

"Whhhaa? Oh PLEASE, Lexy! You guys breaking apart wasn't your fault!"

"Oh yeah? Nate was the one who warned me. I was the stupid one who didn't listen. I can't believe our friendship ended because of something so ridiculous..."

"So? Go make it up!"

"What? Now _you're_ not making any sense! First of all, it's been a year. Second, he told me that our friendship couldn't be fixed."

"Oh PLEASE, Lexy!" Mitchie rolled her eyes. "If you're friendship was strong - and it still is - then a year would be like a second! Even a DECADE wouldn't be as long!"

"I don't understand..."

"Friendships that are TRUE. And REAL - can always be fixed. No matter how long."

"But he said-"

"He was obviously hurt."

"Hurt?"

"Well, you just delivered him the news that he was right all along, right? That your friendship was shattered through something stupid."

"Well I didn't 'deliver' it..."

"You get my point."

"Yeah but-"

Mitchie pulled Alex up, and looked her in the eye, "You love him Alex."

Alex looked away, she felt hot, "I don't-"

"Yes you do."

Alex looked up at her with desperate eyes, "It's too late, Mitchie! It's TOO LATE!"

Mitchie pushed Alex out the door, "Go talk to him. And then tell me if it's too late." And shut the door.

Nate was sprawled out on the couch. His eyes closed. He wasn't sleeping though.

He felt so lifeless. All he could think about was the memory. At the park.

He couldn't have felt more ashamed.

_"No. No it can't."_

He always dreamt about him and Alex reuniting. Friends once again. Maybe even something more.

Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door.

Nate didn't budge. Shane and Jason weren't home at the moment. Neither were mom and dad. It was just him.

But he didn't feel like answering.

"Coming." He just groaned.

Alex sighed. Maybe no one was home?

"Coming."

Nate.

She sighed one more time - heavier, darker.

Suddenly, the door opened.

Alex's eyes instantly met his.

"Alex." He breathed.

"Can... Can we talk?" Alex asked.

Nate didn't move a muscle. He just looked at her with wide eyes. Was she really standing in front of him?

Alex was uncomfortable.

"I thought I told you-"

"That we can't be friends... Yeah, I know. It's been a month."

"Then why-"

"Can we talk?" Alex repeated patiently.

Nate slightly looked away from Alex. He was so afraid. He was on the brink of breaking down. He quavered, "I don't think I can handle being in the same room with you."

Alex heard the pain and lies in his voice, "You keep pulling away from me."

"Am not."

She looked at him once more, "Yes, you are."

Nate didn't reply.

"You just can't accept the fact that our friendship was torn apart because of something stupid. Can't you just leave that behind? Wasn't our friendship strong enough to pull through?"

"UGH!" Nate threw his hands up in the air. "Friendship? Oh PLEASE Alex!"

Alex seemed confused.

"I wasn't your friend, Alex. I didn't WANT to be your friend. I LOVED you!"

Alex was slightly hopeful, "I know you loved me..."

"Not like _that_!" Nate said. "I wanted to be your everything! I couldn't accept the fact that someone else was going to hold you... That HE was going to hold you! I was dying inside. I couldn't take it!"

Alex stood silent as he continued, "I was stupid for thinking you'd love me back. That somehow you'd _realize_! I thought that-"

He was suddenly cut off when Alex grabbed his shirt and pulled him in. Their lips crashed as they fell into a passionate kiss. Alex felt the sparks - she _never_ felt sparks before. Nate responded by deepening the kiss. Alex and Nate - _finally_.

Then they pulled apart for air, their foreheads still touching.

"I'm so sorry..." Alex whispered.

Nate kissed her, "You came back to me - even after I pushed you away."

"Because I love you."

"When did you begin to love me?"

"I always did," Alex admitted, smiling. "I was blind. I was _so_ blind."

Nate reached up to touch her face, pushing away the curls covering her eyes, he kissed her one more time, "I'm starting to like this."

Alex chuckled, "I love you. I love you I love you I love you."

Nate laughed, "Making up for all the times you thought differently?"

Alex pushed him into the house, closing the door behind her, never letting her eyes stray from his, "I guess."

Nate smiled, "Forever and always Alex Russo."

Alex sighed happily, "Forever and always." As Nate pulled her in for one more passionate kiss, and as she fingered the ring that Nate gave to her so many years before.


End file.
